Quentin Grimes worked with a pair of former NBA guards to get ready for the upcoming season, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. In addition to his annual summer workout with University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, Grimes spent time refining his jump shot with JJ Redick. According to Bondy, the idea came from head coach Tom Thibodeau and assistant Darren Erman, who recognized that Redick was proficient with the type of plays they want to see from Grimes.
“I know JJ Redick was one of the best shooters ever in this league. His conditioning was otherworldly, stuff like that. So I just tried to get in the gym with him, learn little things, how he would come off screens, pin downs, because I knew that would be some of the plays that were going to be run for me this season,” Grimes said. “So hopefully I’ll be prepared for them when I get my number called.”
Grimes is hoping to become more of a play-maker with the freedom to break down defenses. Bondy notes that he averaged just 1.89 seconds with the ball when it came to him last season and only 1.1 dribbles per touch. With Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle dominating the ball, Grimes was assigned to a catch-and-shoot role.
“It’s a good thing for me because I can space the floor, create driving lanes for RJ, whoever has the ball,” Grimes said. “But like I said, Thibs and (the assistant coaches), we had conversations this season like if I got the ball out there and I can make a play, go make a play.”
There’s more from New York:
- Barrett hopes to build on his World Cup performance, Bondy adds in a separate story. He was one of the top contributors to Canada’s bronze medal run, averaging 16.8 PPG while shooting 37.1% from three-point range. “I think I learned the game a little bit more,” Barrett said. “It’s crazy physical. Refs don’t care. It’s a lot different over there. But it was fun. I really kind of just did the same thing, my same thing, played the same game. I feel like I’m a guy — whether it’s the league or it’s FIBA — I kind of do the same stuff.”
- Playing power forward won’t be a new experience for Josh Hart, even though he’s undersized for the position at 6’4″, Bondy states in another piece. Hart said he guarded fours in Portland with Jerami Grant on the perimeter, which helped him to become an exceptional rebounder for his size.
- Knicks fans shouldn’t be alarmed that the team didn’t make any major moves this summer, contends Zach Braziller of The New York Post. He defends the front office’s decision not to chase Damian Lillard or anyone else who was on the market while preserving the team’s assets for a more significant addition in the future.
This is a deep team with a coach that utilizes a small rotation. Something has to give. Still need that ‘star’ player. They’ll make the playoffs, but second round at best.
Second round again, I agree. The star will come… from Dallas
They are going to trade for Tim Hardaway Jr?
Well played st croix
Disagree. Their synergy is exceptional and Brunson is a star. He has the potential to be a 50/40/90 guy, or at least close. And for a guard that’s incredibly rare. Leaving out of the ASG was criminal, tbh. And as much as I don’t like Randle, he’s still an All-NBA caliber forward.
I don’t see the Knicks as a championship team this year, but I could see them in the conference finals. The Bucks and Celtics have more talent, but they’re going to be spending most of the year adjusting to their new systems. It’s why star trades so rarely result in an instant championship, and why I still favor Dallas or LA coming out of the West over Phoenix. The Big 3 Heat, the 2015 Cavs, the PG/Kawahi Clippers, the Nets Big 3, the Cavs, T-wolves, Sixers, and Kings this past season, and several others are all examples of the opposite against just the Lakers and Raptors in the past decade, plus more I’m probably forgetting. The Knicks and Cavs could upset either Boston or Milwaukee in a seven-game series.
Agreed, padam. And I’m OK with them standing pat in a way. So many years of horrible Knicks ball, I’m just glad they’re a playoff team. I’m not sure if they got better this offseason, but I don’t think they got any worse. I think Toppin is a better player than DiVincenzo, but DiVincenzo will be utilized better in Thibs system.
To me it all depends on which Randle shows up this year. All-NBA Randle or 2021-22 Randle?
I’m in total agreement with you. I definitely think they a deep team. They also should be a top four team in the Eastern Conference. This team is missing a superstar!!! I know they going to get Joel Embiid next summer. He’s going to be tired of the Philadelphia 76ers and they will trade him to the New York Knicks.
I like where the team is. Year 4, we have a good deep rotation of guys between 23-28, returning almost intact for a second year with Brunson at the helm.
Thes biggest flaw, aside from the lack of a superstar, is that, despite a very deep perimeter group (which may be too deep), the team may still be challenged to create enough floor spacing. I’d love to see Grimes do more, but he was assigned a catch and shoot role principally because the other wings (Barrett and Hart) aren’t (or at least weren’t) good floor spacers, and he is. Encouraging him to be more aggressive isn’t a new thing (the staff did it last year); without rejiggering the rotation and/or the shot distribution, its going to be a process.
The backup 4 minutes going to a perimeter player is relatively common in the league. NYK were sort of an outlier last year having 2 one position 4’s in the rotation. It’s at least worth a try. Ideally it will help get more minutes for a perimeter group and may help with the floor spacing too. Sims (and maybe Roby) can cover minutes where more size is needed, or they could turn to the trade market where backup 4’s don’t require a great deal to acquire. Of course, if Randle were to get hurt, the PF depth chart (or lack of it) will become a real issue.
There’s no reason this team can’t continue to ascend and get 50+ wins and a top 4 seed. That may be the peak of it. The NBA playoffs are not a crapshoot (regardless of the crap the league tries to sell), and despite MIA’s playoff run last year (which was more about a depressed regular season than any post season miracles). So, a second round appearance might be the upside. Looks like a big 2 has developed in the East (MIL and BOS), and, if healthy, are probably too tough for us to take out in a 7 game series. MIA, CLE and PHI will also likely be favored to finish ahead of us or about where we do. The good news the teams ahead of us will be more challenged (in terms of future assets and/or CBA restrictions) to improve after this year than we’ll be.
I’m just happy that the Knicks are being run well consistently for the first time since the 1990’s.
They still look like a 45-50 win team who are likely a 2nd round casualty. That said, I like the fact that they haven’t traded for a star yet as the ones who have demanded deal in the last two years were not the best long term options for the team.
Hold onto the trade assets for the guy who fits the biggest need like an Embiid or a high level 3 and D guy.
This is my big problem with Knicks fans. We went from a laughingstock to a 45-50 win, ECF of all breaks right potential team. And fans are complaining that we’re on the hamster wheel. I would rather be on this hamster wheel, waiting for a disgruntled star than to be praying for ping pong balls to bounce my way. Fans should be ecstatic where we are.
Given the 10 years (10+, really) we endured pre-thibs, I can be content knowing we have a squad that can play and wait for the right move to put all our chips on the table.